Use baking soda, brush to clean fruit, vegetables

Published: Wednesday, June 26, 2013 at 7:38 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, June 26, 2013 at 7:38 a.m.

Afew months ago, I received a letter from a reader in Hendersonville. Ms. Pat asked me to address how to clean fruits and vegetables properly.

She is concerned by the number of “poisons,” including pesticides and herbicides, used on today’s produce. She should be concerned not only with the chemicals but also with other contaminants such as human and animal waste, dirty water and pollutants caused by improper hygiene.

When it comes to sterilizing produce, cleaning methods vary. I have read that some suggest actually using an unscented soap to wash fruits and vegetables. Personally, I disagree with the concept of adding more man-made chemicals to remove other man-made chemicals. Instead, I prefer a good, old-fashioned home remedy used for many types of cleaning: baking soda and vinegar.

Baking soda is a natural element, bicarbonate of soda, and is sometimes found in mineral form dissolved in mineral springs.

It is inexpensive and can be found in most pantries.

Baking soda is a biopesticide, which inhibits the growth of certain bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Baking soda is a very mild abrasive. When baking soda is applied to a damp apple, your fingers can then do the work to remove waxy buildup, germs and other not-sotasty substances. Baking soda also works for most other fruits and vegetables that do not require peeling such as zucchini and tomatoes. A good scrub brush can also be a cook’s best friend. When it comes to carrots, potatoes and sweet potatoes, I rarely pull out the vegetable peeler. Instead, I scrub them well under cold water. The peelings of many fruits and veggies contain fiber and other nutrients, as well as flavor, so I choose not to discard the peels.

Over the past few years, “prewashed” leafy greens have been one of the leading causes of food-borne illnesses in the United States. When I teach classes at Charleston Cooks in Greenville, S.C., I often teach participants to wash all produce, including those that claim to have been washed already or even triple washed.

When it comes to salad greens, cooking greens and even large amounts of herbs, I use a handy device called a salad spinner.

The device consists of a bowl with a basket insert and a top that spins the basket. Usually people just rinse the greens and spin them dry. I prefer to fill the whole bowl and basket full of produce with water, give it a few shakes, then remove the basket from the water. Drain the bowl, replace the basket and spin away.

By submerging your greens in water, any dirt, sand, etc., will settle to the bottom, and the basket can be lifted away, leaving the icky stuff to be discarded.

As an extra precaution, a few tablespoons of vinegar can be added to the rinsing water to further inhibit bacterial growth.

An even better option than any I have explained so far is to grow your own produce. When I pick tomatoes, carrots, eggplant, etc., from my garden, I know that no pesticides, herbicides or contaminated water have been used on my goodies.

Once picked, I usually just give them a quick rinse to remove any tiny bugs or clinging dirt, but I have been known to simply brush off a freshly picked carrot and eat it right in the garden (a little grit hasn’t hurt me yet).

I encourage you to grow your grub, use organic material for fertilizer and let nature do the rest.

Thanks again to Ms. Pat for her great question.

For any other cooking or vegetable gardening related questions, please email me at Season28@aol.com. I would love to hear from all of you.

<p>Afew months ago, I received a letter from a reader in Hendersonville. Ms. Pat asked me to address how to clean fruits and vegetables properly.</p><p>She is concerned by the number of “poisons,” including pesticides and herbicides, used on today's produce. She should be concerned not only with the chemicals but also with other contaminants such as human and animal waste, dirty water and pollutants caused by improper hygiene.</p><p>When it comes to sterilizing produce, cleaning methods vary. I have read that some suggest actually using an unscented soap to wash fruits and vegetables. Personally, I disagree with the concept of adding more man-made chemicals to remove other man-made chemicals. Instead, I prefer a good, old-fashioned home remedy used for many types of cleaning: baking soda and vinegar.</p><p>Baking soda is a natural element, bicarbonate of soda, and is sometimes found in mineral form dissolved in mineral springs.</p><p>It is inexpensive and can be found in most pantries.</p><p>Baking soda is a biopesticide, which inhibits the growth of certain bacteria, fungi and viruses.</p><p>Baking soda is a very mild abrasive. When baking soda is applied to a damp apple, your fingers can then do the work to remove waxy buildup, germs and other not-sotasty substances. Baking soda also works for most other fruits and vegetables that do not require peeling such as zucchini and tomatoes. A good scrub brush can also be a cook's best friend. When it comes to carrots, potatoes and sweet potatoes, I rarely pull out the vegetable peeler. Instead, I scrub them well under cold water. The peelings of many fruits and veggies contain fiber and other nutrients, as well as flavor, so I choose not to discard the peels.</p><p>Over the past few years, “prewashed” leafy greens have been one of the leading causes of food-borne illnesses in the United States. When I teach classes at Charleston Cooks in Greenville, S.C., I often teach participants to wash all produce, including those that claim to have been washed already or even triple washed.</p><p>When it comes to salad greens, cooking greens and even large amounts of herbs, I use a handy device called a salad spinner.</p><p>The device consists of a bowl with a basket insert and a top that spins the basket. Usually people just rinse the greens and spin them dry. I prefer to fill the whole bowl and basket full of produce with water, give it a few shakes, then remove the basket from the water. Drain the bowl, replace the basket and spin away.</p><p>By submerging your greens in water, any dirt, sand, etc., will settle to the bottom, and the basket can be lifted away, leaving the icky stuff to be discarded.</p><p>As an extra precaution, a few tablespoons of vinegar can be added to the rinsing water to further inhibit bacterial growth.</p><p>An even better option than any I have explained so far is to grow your own produce. When I pick tomatoes, carrots, eggplant, etc., from my garden, I know that no pesticides, herbicides or contaminated water have been used on my goodies.</p><p>Once picked, I usually just give them a quick rinse to remove any tiny bugs or clinging dirt, but I have been known to simply brush off a freshly picked carrot and eat it right in the garden (a little grit hasn't hurt me yet).</p><p>I encourage you to grow your grub, use organic material for fertilizer and let nature do the rest.</p><p>Thanks again to Ms. Pat for her great question.</p><p>For any other cooking or vegetable gardening related questions, please email me at Season28@aol.com. I would love to hear from all of you.</p>